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A huge first quarter propelled the Parry McCluer High School girls basketball team to a 62-29 road win over Pioneer District rival Covington on Tuesday of last week.
Anna Claytor totaled 25 points and 12 rebounds and Victoria Hamilton scored 15 points as the Fighting Blues improved to 5-1 in district games. PM would move to 14-2 overall with a 40-33 victory over James River at the Rock the Ribbon Roundball Shootout on Saturday.
Last Tuesday, the Blues raced out to a 22-6 lead by the end of the opening period, and they never let the Cougars back into the game. On the night, PM generated 25 points off of 25 Covington turnovers.
“We got off to a good start,” PM head coach Adam Gilbert said. “We were able to turn them over and get some points in transition.”
Lauren Bragg’s double-double of 14 points and 15 rebounds paced Covington. Alexus Wall added eight points for the Cougars, and Sydney-Kay Bragg chipped in five points.
Addisen Roberts and Natalie Mohler each finished with six points and four assists for the Blues, while Payton Emore rang up nine rebounds and six assists. But as is often the case for PM, its success centered around Claytor, the 6-foot-1inch senior who would go on to break the 1,000-point barrier against JR over the weekend.
Praising Claytor for her athleticism and contributions to the team, Gilbert said, “She was a huge part of our success last year in the [Class 1] state semifinal run, and she’s continued that this year. She’s handled the leadership role well for us [this year]. She’s kept everybody in check, and we’re sitting in a good position right now.”
PM was slated to take on Pioneer foe Eastern Montgomery in Buena Vista last night. The Blues will play host to a rematch with Covington on Thursday, beginning with the junior varsity contest at 5:30 p.m. They’ll travel to take on nondistrict rival Giles on Monday, starting with JV action at 6 p.m.
